nopin

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Seems like a nice fellow

A nice article about Carl Cochrane, who lives in an isolated cabin along the Yukon Quest trail and hosts the mushers as they come by. It's a nice story, but I disagree with some of the notes of heroism, references to the harsh conditions of mushing at -50, for example. This is not a mission of mercy to save children dying of diphtheria. This is a race. For no cause other than fame and money. To me, if conditions are so tough that you and/or the dogs are suffering, it just isn't worth it, and I don't want to hear stories of "courageous" racers who soldier on, despite all obstacles and weather like God's wrath, bravely going on, yadayada. It's a race. Nothing more, nothing less.

Second item on today's report: Last night, I made eight dozen Valentine's Day cookies!


This isn't as painful as it sounds, because I make them in two days. The first day I make the dough and form it into rolls, and the second day I just slice them off and bake them. Of course, I learn afterward that my friend whose birthday is today might be diabetic and can't eat sugar. I guess I have to eat hers. Happy birthday, M!

5 comments:

mdr said...

It is very nice of you making all those cookies. I'd love to have a few.

Rena said...

Beautiful cookies! What lucky friends you have.

Agree with you about the 'race' aspect. I feel similarly about people who climb Everest.

Arvay said...

Rena, one of my biggest regrets about How I Spent My Sili Valley Time is not seeing more of you and the gang and making cookies for you all. Nowadays, I feel like I make more of an effort to see people on a regular basis, but in the Sili Valley, I let that slide. It's a shame.

blip said...

Agree with you about the 'race' aspect and also people who climb Everest... and also people who live in a cabin with no toilet or running water in the middle of an Alaskan winter. :)

And I feel like eating those cookies too!

Arvay said...

But I don't write with notes of heroism. At least, I don't think I do... I consider myself an ordinary person--just like all the other grad students in dry cabins. :)